This invention relates to card sorting, and in particular it relates to a new and proved method and apparatus and a new information card wherein the code such as edge notches are placed on a vertical edge of the card.
Numerous arrangements are presently known for sorting cards which are provided along their edges with information bearing means such as edge notches. Previous devices utilize a plurality of selectively operable code bars spaced along bottom of the device and cooperating with notches located along the bottom edge of the cards. One type of previous device which utilizes notches placed at selected locations along the bottom of the card is shown in our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,166. Another type of device which removes tabs from between adjacent notches of a prearranged regular pattern of notches, also located along the bottom of the card, is shown in the Whitson U.S. Pat. No. 2,397,943.
While these bottom notched cards have proved relatively successful, they have suffered from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, they have tended to be relatively complex. The basic operation of moving cards and/or code bars vertically, especially when coupled with the required horizontal movement to finally separate the selected cards from the remaining cards, requires a relatively large number of steps and this in turn complicates the apparatus for carrying out such steps.
Secondly, the cost of such an apparatus is increased by the requirement for a high level of precision. The basic reason for requiring this precision is that in any such bottom edge notch card system, there must be a step wherein there is relative vertical movement between the selected cards and the non-selected cards. Because of friction between the cards, this task of effecting relative vertical movement between the two groups of cards is perhaps one of the most difficult of all tasks to complete with 100 percent efficiency. If it is not completed with such efficiency, then it will be appreciated that the sorting task may not be completely satisfied since a selected card might remain with the other cards or vice versa. The difficulty arises when this difficult vertical separation step is carried out when at least one of the groups of cards, i.e. selected or non-selected, are either on the selected code bars or are moving downwardly onto selected code bars. Obviously any lateral movement at this point could not only reduce the efficiency of the overall separating operation but indeed it might even cause damage to the cards or jamming of the machine.
Another disadvantage is the fact that it is at best inconvenient to locate the code bars at the bottom of the device. Current consumer orientation requires or at least strongly dictates a low profile. Therefore, although the code bars are located along the bottom of the device, it would not be practical to also locate at the bottom of the device all of the supporting equipment. Rather, it is necessary to further complicate the machine by complicating linkages or the like linking the code bars to operating mechanisms located elsewhere such as behind the cards.
Most of the above disadvantages are applicable, which ever of the two types of systems of bottom edge notched cards are utilized. However, the system utilizing the prearranged regular pattern of notches with certain tabs removed from between adjacent notches suffers from the additional disadvantage that the cards themselves must be further complicated by magnetic means or the like for effecting lateral separation of the selected cards relative to the non-selected cards.
Thus, there exists a need for a new and improved card sorting method and apparatus which will overcome the disadvantages of presently known arrangements.